Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the additional cost to the public purse of expanding the automatic eligibility criteria for the Holiday Activities and Food programme to include all care-experienced children, including those who are (a) looked after, (b) in kinship care arrangements and (c) adopted.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government recognises that care-experienced children, including children who are looked after, living in kinship care or adopted, can face additional challenges.
The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, backed by over £600 million of funding for the next three years, provides free nutritious meals, enriching activities, and safe environments to eligible children during the school holidays. The programme is focussed on ensuring support for families facing the greatest levels of disadvantage and therefore is targeted primarily at children eligible for free school meals from households receiving Universal Credit with annual earnings of £7,400 or less (‘targeted FSM’).
However, local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised places to children who do not meet these criteria, but who could benefit from HAF, including care-experienced children.
HAF is a set budget programme, therefore expanding eligibility would not increase cost.
The government is also strengthening support for care-experienced children through wider reforms, including enhanced support for children in kinship care, extension of the Virtual School Head role and investment in kinship care support.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if the current evaluation of the Prison Education Service will include a review of pay structures for prison education staff.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice evaluation of the Prisoner Education Service is focused on building the evidence base to improve outcomes for prisoners and inform future policy decisions. The terms and conditions of prison education staff are set by contracted providers, rather than the Ministry of Justice.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the answer to UIN 117428 given on 10th March 2026, what the timescale is for the evaluation of the Prison Education Service and if he will provide an update on progress.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
A comprehensive evaluation of the Prisoner Education Service is underway to inform ongoing delivery and future improvements. The evaluation will run from 2026 to 2029, and the findings will be published as they become available during that period.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Intensive Supervision Court in Bristol on levels of reoffending.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Intensive Supervision Court (ISC) pilot is subject to a full impact evaluation, including an assessment of its impact on reoffending. It is too early to determine whether the pilot has influenced reoffending rates, as reliable analysis requires a sufficient follow-up period. Once the evaluation has concluded, final outcomes for the pilot will aggregate reoffending outcomes across the existing ISC pilot sites, including Bristol Crown Court ISC, with publication expected by early 2029.
Early findings from the process evaluation are encouraging, showing high levels of compliance, with 66% of offenders not breaching their orders, alongside strong participant engagement and access to treatment and support services (available on gov.uk: Process evaluation of the Intensive Supervision Courts pilot: Final Report). International evidence also suggests that problem-solving approaches such as Intensive Supervision Courts can reduce arrests by around 33% compared with standard sentences.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will take steps to prohibit or discourage the use of plastic confetti and replace with biodegradable alternatives.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government has a number of restrictions on unnecessary single use plastic products, including single-use vapes and wet wipes containing plastic. We will continue to review the latest evidence on problematic products and/or materials to take a systematic approach to reduce the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products and encourage reuse solutions in line with circular economy principles.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the current security situation in Tigray and its potential impact on further implementation of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains concerned by recent insecurity in Tigray, including reports of clashes between federal and Tigrayan forces. We continue to assess that any renewed conflict risks undermining implementation of the Pretoria Agreement for Lasting Peace through a Permanent Cessation of Hostilities in November 2022. The UK welcomes the progress achieved under the Agreement, but its full implementation remains essential to securing a sustainable peace.
The UK continues to engage actively with all parties. During my visit to Ethiopia in August 2026 I discussed the path to peace with partners in the Ethiopian Government and African Union (AU). We continue to support AU-led mediation efforts, and as stated publicly alongside other concerned Embassies on 26 August, we urge all parties to prioritise dialogue, exercise restraint, and work constructively to address outstanding issues.